Brian Sparks

Brian Sparks
Personal information
Full name Brian Anthonie Sparks MBE
Nickname Sparky
Born 23 June 1931
Llanharan, Wales
Died 30 June 2013 (age 82)
Bridgend, Wales
Playing information
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 15 st 0 lb (95 kg)
Rugby union
Position Flanker
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
≤1953–≤53 Pontypool RFC
≤1953–≤53 Bridgend RFC
1953–≤57 Neath RFC 100+
Glamorgan Police RFC
≤1956–≤57 Torquay Athletic RFC
Barbarian F.C.
Total 100 0 0 0 0
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
Devon
1954–57 Wales 7 0 0 0 0
Rugby league
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
Dec 1957–61 Halifax 115
Source: scrum.com

Brian Anthonie Sparks MBE (23 June 1931[1] – 30 June 2013 (age 82)) born in Llanharan, was a Welsh police officer, teacher, head teacher, founder-chairman of the Welsh Schools Basketball Association in 1963, and rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1950s and '60s playing representative level rugby union (RU) for Wales, and Devon, at invitational level for Barbarian F.C., and at club level for Pontypool RFC, Bridgend RFC, Neath RFC, Glamorgan Police RFC, Torquay Athletic RFC , and St. Luke's College (Captain) in the Middlesex Sevens final victory of 1957, playing at Flanker, i.e. number 6 or 7, and playing club level rugby league (RL) for Halifax (Captain),[2] he died in Bridgend.

Playing career

International honours

Brian Sparks won caps for Wales (RU) while at Neath RFC in 1954 against Ireland, in 1955 against England, and France, in 1956 against England, Scotland, and Ireland, and in 1957 Scotland,[3] he was the fortieth police officer to be capped by Wales.[4]

Club career

Brian Sparks signed for Halifax from Neath RFC in 1957 for a signing-on fee of £1800 (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £91,120 in 2013),[5] and made a try-scoring début against Hunslet on Saturday 28 December 1957, he played in the defeat by Wigan in the 1959 Challenge Cup during the 1958–59 season at Thrum Hall, Halifax in 1959, in front of 29,153 Fans, he also played, and was Captain, in the defeat by Wigan in the 1961 Challenge Cup semi-final during the 1960–61 season in March 1961.[6]

Genealogical information

Brian Sparks' marriage to Beryl Morris was registered during April→June 1954 in Bridgend district,[7] they had children; Leigh Sparks (birth registered January→March 1957 (age 58–59) in Bridgend district), Brian Sparks' funeral took place on Monday 8 July 2013 at Coychurch Crematorium.[8]

Outside of rugby

Brian Sparks was a police officer in Neath, he studied teacher training at St. Luke's College, University of Exeter, and became a mathematics and physical education teacher at Exley County Secondary Modern School in Exley, Halifax, and head teacher at Tynyrheol Primary School in Llangeinor, he was the founder-chairman of the Welsh Schools Basketball Association in 1963, in 1974 he undertook a Churchill Fellowship to study schools' basketball in USA, he was an active member in Neath RFC Former Players' Association, and in 2012 he received an MBE for services to schools' basketball in Wales.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Birth details at freebmd.org.uk". freebmd.org.uk. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  2. ↑ Robert Gate (1986). "Gone North – Volume 1". R. E. Gate. ISBN 0-9511190-0-1
  3. ↑ "Statistics at scrum.com". scrum.com. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  4. ↑ "Brian Sparks cigarette card at rugbyrelics.com". rugbyrelics.com. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  5. ↑ "Measuring Worth – Relative Value of UK Pounds". Measuring Worth. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  6. ↑ "Dave Fleming's Blast From The Past". halifaxrlfc.co.uk. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  7. ↑ "Marriage details at freebmd.org.uk". freebmd.org.uk. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  8. 1 2 "Former Wales Flanker Dies" (PDF). scrum.com. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2014.

External links

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